Born 1979 in Santa Clara, CA

Federal Judicial Service:
Confirmed as Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Nominated by Donald J. Trump on January 5, 2026, to a seat vacated by Lynn Nettleton Hughes. Confirmed by the Senate on February 3, 2026. Commission not yet received.

Education:
American University, B.A., 2000
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 2005

Professional Career:

Law clerk, Hon. Ralph R. Erickson, U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, 2005-2007
Adjunct professor, University of North Dakota School of Law, 2007
Law clerk, Hon. Richard Allen Griffin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2007-2008
Assistant U.S. attorney, District of New Mexico, 2008-2020
Adjunct professor and lecturer, University of New Mexico, 2012-2018
Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, U.S. Department of Justice (on detail), 2018-2019
Assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Texas, 2020-2022; first assistant U.S. attorney, 2020-2021; acting U.S. attorney, 2021
Chief counsel, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, 2022-2025
U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, 2025-2026

Other Nominations/Recess Appointments:

Nominated to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, November 18, 2025; no Senate vote